Swimming in the Dark is a First Novel Destined to Join the Cannon of Queer Literature

 

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski is destined to join the Canon of must-read Queer Literature.

 

Tomasz Jedrowski's Swimming in the Dark is a Nuanced Portrayal of Gay Love in Communist Poland

"I'm sorry too. Sorry to be living under this bloody system." Your brows furrowed, and you glanced behind us. "Don't say things like that." There was a hint of fear in your voice.

It gave me a strange satisfaction. "What else are we going to do? Let them do anything they please?" - Excerpt from Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski (Pg. 98)

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"He who desires, but acts not, breeds pestilence." - William Blake, The Proverbs of Hell

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Cambridge University educated first time Author Tomasz Jedrowski has created something very special in his debut Novel. Swimming in the Dark follows Janusz, a young Intellectual, and his lover Ludwik as they grow together, and then come apart, in Communist Poland.

The story opens with Janusz walking down memory lane. He is living in the United States, thousands of kilometers away from where the events he is recalling took place. On the television he sees news from his home country. The authorities are using ever more repressive strategies to hold onto their power as the country falls apart.

Janusz's thoughts take him back to the Summer after he finished University. In order to graduate, he and others from his cohort were required to attend a 'work education camp' in the Summer following their final year. This involves manual labour on a farm.

During the Summer of 1980, 9 years before the Polish People's Republic will cease to be, Janusz meets Ludwik. There is a mutual attraction. When the work education camp ends, Janusz and Ludwik go camping in Poland's countryside. Alone in the country together, they begin an affair.

Their love affair recalls the kind described by André Aciman in Call Me by Your Name. A relationship of such depth and quality that many covet, but few of us will ever achieve.

Once Summer ends, Janusz and Ludwik return to Warsaw. Here they start to drift apart. Janusz begins preparations to pursue his PhD, while Ludwik goes to work for the Communist regime's censorship bureau, combing to-be-published texts for content that is critical of the government.

The wedge these diverging paths drives between our Protagonists is made quite clear.

"You should know by now that you will never impress me with your work," I heard myself say. "That it will never bring us closer."

Complicating matters further is Ludwik's burgeoning relationship with Hania Karowski, the daughter of a leading Party figure. Hania and her brother Maksio lead a life of unimaginable luxury - at least, unimaginable for the majority of Poles, who must queue in ever longer lines in order to obtain the basics needed for sustaining life.

Ludwik's relationship with Hania is a calculated move on his part, as he sees his future within Poland, as a loyal enabler of the Communist regime.

Janusz, on the other hand, is an Intellectual who becomes increasingly critical of the status quo. Eventually he will act on his principles.

I recommend Swimming in the Dark to anyone with an interest in reading and collecting serious queer literature. This is an exceptionally strong novel that is destined to become part of the Queer Literary Canon.

Barack Obama Take Two! & Zero Dark Thirty Review

"We possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands... my fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it so well as we seize it together!" - U.S. President Barack Obama

American President Barack Obama on his public inauguration day - January 21, 2013

Today President Barack Obama began his second term a day after he was officially inaugurated at a private ceremony in the White House's Blue Room. CBC's Neil Macdonald said he is now, "assuming a wide martial stance, extending his arm toward the GOP, turning his palm up, and beckoning with all four fingers: Let's do this thing."

In his second, and final, inauguration speech Obama made repeated calls for cooperation and unity, though I doubt he has many illusions about working 'with' Republicans in Congress and the Senate to accomplish his goals. Toward the end of Obama's speech the President said, "decisions are upon us, and we must act without delay." The emphasis in these words is clear, and that Obama had political foes in mind when he spoke them is of little doubt to me. 

With the U.S. soon to reach its' debt ceiling limit, the President and Republicans will again play out their dance of antagonism before video cameras and recording devices. After spending four years being blocked by the GOP and belittled by conservative media commentators, Obama is coming out punching. And I hope he stays that way.

Many media observers have noted that for all his tough talk on the economy (just the other day saying Republicans are seeking, "a ransom" for not bankrupting America) the President also needs to look at cutting government spending. Obama got his way in the 'fiscal cliff' affair partly because he didn't blink in the game of chicken with Republicans. He knew the public would lay most of the blame for failing to reach an agreement on the GOP.

That Obama was able to make Republicans cave and raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans was a small victory. What he needs to do now is show he can make tough choices that will upset many Democrats and those who voted for him. Making a real effort to curb America's spending will not make Obama a popular President. But it will mean he's doing what needs to be done to ensure his country remains prosperous into the future, particularly given that China is not slowing down, just the opposite.

Other U.S. politicians will need to realize they cannot spend their terms in office attacking one another while constantly eying reelection. In China the dragon is not sleeping, it is governing and getting shit done. America's Congress and Senate would be wise to take note and follow China's example.

Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty

Since I'm on the topic of America I want to review director Kathryn Bigelow's newest film Zero Dark Thirty. From start to finish the movie is a suspenseful procedural detective thriller that takes the viewer into the hunt for the man many believe was behind the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon.

Regardless of your views on how Osama bin Laden died, there is a version that runs counter to America's official narrative which says bin Laden died years before the American raid on the Abbotabad compound, this movie is one to watch.

CIA Agent Maya (Jessica Chastain) holds her own in every scene she's in (which is all of them) Zero Dark Thirty is also a film about the personal toll running a manhunt has on the movie's protagonist. She sees friends die, works like a fiend from hell, and even goes without sex (it's implied). All with the aim to locate and kill one old man. You can make your own judgment about whether such a quest is worthy when you see the movie. 

El-Farouk Khaki — Pride 2009 Grand Marshall

Tonight, members of Toronto's gay community chose their Grand Marshall for this summer's Pride Parade.

Toronto immigration lawyer and sometime NDP candidate El-Farouk Khaki has been elected Grand Marshall for Toronto Pride 2009. Khaki, who arrived in Vancouver in 1974 with his parents, earned his law degree from the University of British Columbia. He has lived in Toronto since 1989. During the early 1990s' Khaki worked in the Ontario legislature as a political staffer before leaving in 1993 to establish his legal practice.

From what I saw at the meeting, and judging from the cheers of the 500 plus crowd in attendance at the Jarvis Collegiate Cafeteria, Khaki won the vote by a large margin. A total of 512 votes were cast.

Ken Popert, CEO of Pink Triangle Press, which publishes the Xtra! tabloids and The Guide travel magazine, was also in the running. Popert's long-time friend and fellow activist Gerald Hannon gave a nomination speech on Popert's behalf, which I found to be quite moving and touching. Hannon told me that he wrote it 10 minutes before the meeting — to me this proves Hannon's superior writing skills (in his daytime job he is a regular contributor to Toronto Life)

Though I did find it odd that Popert didn't speak for himself. I think perhaps it was a case of shyness on the media mogul's part. And he is admittedly not popular with some members of the community for various reasons which could take up a blog entry on their own. As Popert himself put it while the votes were being counted, he felt there were some, "axes being ground" in the room tonight.

The theme of this year's Pride celebration is, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" which I think is a good choice given this year marks the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City. If the Grand Marshall's selection was awarded on the basis of lifetime achievement and chosen by a selection committee, then Popert would likely have won. His long years of work for Toronto's gay community are not something that should be trivialized or overlooked.

However, I feel that Khaki will make an excellent Grand Marshall. His inclusive politics (he twice ran for the NDP in Toronto Centre), socially progressive work as an immigration lawyer, and charming personality make him an excellent representative of Toronto's gay community. I hope he uses the honour as a means of drawing awareness to some of the causes he advocates for. (And he'll probably wear something amazing in the parade; he was wearing this great black velvet suit jacket and a smart tie with colourful circle patterns tonight)

I'll be in New York City for Toronto Pride this year. It being the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, I've made plans with a friend to travel to the Big Apple to celebrate this crucially important moment in the history of the gay rights movement in North America. But after tonight, I wish I could be in two places at once. I'm sure Toronto will mark the occasion in a classy spectacle all its' own. Though I would like to see the city give greater prominence to the flag unveiling this year — no more hiding the event behind the concession booths of another event, which is what happened in 2008.